Raytown man charged after admitting to about 50 sexual encounters with young girl

Raytown man charged after admitting to about 50 sexual encounters with young girl

Zachary Sprowls

RAYTOWN, Mo. — A 27-year-old Raytown man is now facing charges after admitting to sexually abusing a young Independence girl approximately 50 times over the past two years.

Zachary Sprowls has been charged with five counts of first-degree statutory sodomy, one count of first-degree statutory rape, one count of second-degree child molestation, and two counts of statutory sodomy or attempted statutory sodomy.

According to court documents, the mother of a 9-year-old girl reported the ongoing sexual abuse to Independence police in late June. The mother said she saw her daughter scratching her vaginal area, and when she asked about it, the 9-year-old told her about the alleged abuse.

On July 9, the girl told police that Sprowls had sexually touched and assaulted her for the past two years. She provided details of numerous incidents to police. The 9-year-old also told police she knew Sprowls had taken pictures of her when she was naked, court records say.

The little girl said after every encounter, Sprowls would threaten her to make sure she wouldn’t tell anyone.

When interviewed by Independence police, court documents say Sprowls admitted to the approximately 50 encounters. He told police he knew it was wrong and against the law.

Sprowls is being held on a $150,000 cash bond. His preliminary hearing occurred Tuesday, and his next court appearance has not yet been scheduled.